At younger ages, countless students imagine college as a guarantee. Work hard, earn sufficient grades and an acceptance letter will follow. But as some of these students grow older, their hopes get pushed aside by reality, as many come to realize that attending college is far more than an acceptance letter alone. It also requires navigating tuition costs, housing, fees and other expenses that determine whether or not a student can attend: a challenge in which financial programs were created to address. 

Even after successfully achieving an admission offer, breaking through the financial barriers of attending can prove to be extremely taxing. This is where programs to support students come in, such as Wake Forest University’s newly instituted program, “North Carolina’s Gateway to Wake Forest University.” Craig Slaughter, the executive director of financial aid for Wake Forest, claims that this program seeks to encourage accessibility and affordability in higher education. Instituted in September of 2025, the Gateway program ensures free-tuition to eligible, in-state students whose families earn less than $200,000 annually, as well as other benefits varying based on family income. 

“We created North Carolina Gateway to clearly and transparently communicate the affordability of a Wake Forest education,” Slaughter said. “Families with incomes up to $200,000 often qualify for significant financial aid, so it seemed like a logical and easily understood threshold to anchor our Gateway program.”

These decisions play a huge role in not only diversifying universities but also in opening up opportunities to qualified individuals who otherwise may not have considered applying to schools such as Wake Forest. Melissa Ansbacher, counselor at Wakefield High School, has seen these students’ experiences firsthand. Due to Wake Forest’s new program, she has witnessed a noticeable increase in student interest, reporting approximately six to eight more students planning on applying from the students she oversees alone. 

“I think [The Gateway Program] and others like that will expose more students to institutions they wouldn’t have normally considered,” Ansbacher said. “There are students who would be successful at those institutions but would have never applied.”

While financial assistance may not be the first consideration for all students, it ultimately has an impact on the entire campus. Its existence promotes a community consisting of students from different backgrounds, dictating whether or not students who grew up without as much privilege are able to secure a place within universities. These initiatives assist in breaking down barriers preventing qualified students from pursuing opportunities where they have the potential to excel. Anna Jensen, a first-generation college student and current professor at the University of Iowa, emphasizes how, while opportunities may not be entirely “equal,” tuition aid still played a significant role in her life by creating possibilities that previously felt out of reach.

“I’m not sure [higher education] will ever be equal until it is a basic right afforded to everyone who is interested in pursuing it,” Jensen said.  “However, without financial aid, higher education would not have been a possibility for me, personally, and for that, I am grateful.”

Programs are often viewed as systems to support those in extreme financial hardship, but realistically, it is important that they are additionally offered and accessible to students who are navigating college largely on their own, and with that, fully taking on the economic toll. For University of North Carolina at Wilmington student Katie Spampinato, the economic aspects of higher education show in subtle yet significant ways within her everyday life.  

“You are on your own, so it’s up to you to finance different things,” Spampinato said. “That is really hard, fresh out of high school.” 

Surrounded by peers who may not share the same economic background, the influence income has on the college experience quickly became apparent. Spampinato highlights how financial programs remind students that they have a support system. Though college may not be a guaranteed path, initiatives such as these help turn aspirations into achievements. 

“There are a lot of different opportunities for students to seek financial aid,” Spampinato said. “So many different communities and so many different forms of support.”